Cymbal breakage is a recognized problem in the music industry. Cymbals may break as a result of the contact between the stick and the cymbal, either while the cymbal is stationary or moving while being played. When playing a cymbal using a stick, the force of the impact is converted to motion (the cymbal moves away from the point of contact with the stick), sound (the impact of the stick and the subsequent vibration of the cymbal creates the desirable sound of the instrument), and heat (typically minor and rapidly dissipated through the relatively large surface area of the cymbal). The motion of the cymbal is countered by the braking effect of the cymbals mounting components. In a typical cymbal assembly, the majority of these forces in the system are absorbed by the felt pads, steel washers, plastic sleeve, the cymbal stand and the floor. Current cymbal mounting assemblies are, on occasion, unable to adequately absorb and dissipate the impact force applied to the system away front the cymbal itself. As a result, excessive force is exerted on the cymbal and its mounting arrangement leading to the breakage of the cymbal. Such breakages typically occur at the edge, in the body, and or near the center hole (usually on smaller cymbals). At present, a cymbal is typically affixed to its stand by the following arrangement as shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 and 2. A steel base washer sits upon a step in the upper portion of the stand. A plastic sleeve slides over the shaft to make a slip fit to the upper portion of the stand. The plastic sleeve prevents metal to metal contact between the cymbal and stand. This plastic sits upon the base steel washer. A felt pad with a central locating hole sits upon the base washer with the plastic sleeve slightly protruding front its inner diameter. The cymbal sits upon this lower felt pad with the plastic sleeve protecting its inner diameter. Another felt pad sits on the top of the cymbal followed by an additional steel washer. The arrangement is secured in place by a nut, typically a wing nut. This conventional means of mounting the cymbal on the cymbal stand has proven generally unsatisfactory when cymbals are hit very hard for maximum sound output. While providing some protection of the cymbal, the felt washers are unable to adequately absorb and dissipate the forces in the system and cracks or ruptures often appear in the body of the cymbal adjacent to its central hole resulting in failure of the cymbal to produce its intended sounds.
Previous publications demonstrate various methods for improving cymbal mounting assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,235 (e.g., FIG. 1) discloses a pair of felt washers consisting of an upper washer and lower washer are fined over a hollow bolt so that the upper cymbal is held between the two washers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,083 describes an apparatus consisting of four major components: 1) a machine nut threaded to fit onto the threaded upper end of the cymbal stand; 2) a cylindrical fitting made preferably of cast or molded rubber which is screwed onto the threaded upper end of the cymbal stand to rest firmly against the nut and includes an upwardly projecting threaded shaft; 3) a washer with an annular shoulder sized to fit snugly within the hole of a cymbal and which sits an the upper face of the cylindrical fitting; and, 4) an internally threaded knob adapted to be screwed onto the threaded shaft of the fitting after the cymbal has been placed onto the shouldered washer. Prior to threading the knob onto the threaded shaft of the fitting, it is suggested to optionally first place a flexible washer (e.g., made of rubber or similar resilient material) over the end of the shaft to rest on top of the cymbal. In either event the knob is then hand tightened against the flexible shouldered washer or against the upper surface of the cymbal itself. U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,009 relates to a rubber washer with a center hole and touch areas raised above surrounding areas of rubber washer to minimize cymbal contact and improve cymbal tone. And U.S. Pat. No. 7,423,211 (e.g., FIG. 3) relates to cymbal assemblies including a washer assembly consisting of rubber washer, a felt washer and a silica gel washer.
There is a need in the art for additional further improved cymbal mourning assemblies that protect against cymbal breakage. The cymbal mounting assembly described herein provides many advantages that are typically not provided by conventional cymbal assemblies. For instance, the assembly provides superior protection against cymbal breakage by incorporating viscoelastic washers into cymbal assemblies. As such, the user may simply replace conventional washers (e.g., felt, rubber) with those described herein instead of utilizing an entirely new arrangement (e.g., internally threaded shafts). There is also no significant change to standard assemblies that would cause the user to modify his or her playing style by increasing the height of the cymbal). Other advantages of the assemblies described herein will be revealed by the description provided below.